Playoff Roundup | News and notes

Support staff: Poland head coach Mark Brungard has gone 38-17 (.690 winning percentage) in his five seasons with three straight playoff appearances. That record has no doubt been helped by having two former Bulldog head football coaches on staff: offensive line coach Paul Hulea (1996-2004) and offensive backs coach Reid Lamport (1986-92). Also, defensive coordinator Ryan Williams is the head boys track coach.

Higher calling: In addition to his teaching and coaching duties at Poland, Brungard is also the associate pastor at the non-denominational Church of the Rock in Poland, where Lamport serves as senior pastor. Lamport is also Poland’s head softball coach.

Poll position: Seven of the top eight teams in the final Division III Associated Press poll are still alive, including Mooney (first) and Poland (sixth). The others are Steubenville (second), Cincinnati Wyoming (third), Dover (fourth), Columbus DeSales (fifth) and Columbus Watterson (eighth). The lone exception is Springfield Shawnee, which went 7-3 in the regular season. Statewide, 30 of the remaining 48 playoff teams were ranked in the AP’s top 10. Defending state champion Ursuline (14th in Div. V) was not among them.

Family ties: Poland sophomore QB Colin Reardon has several family ties to Cardinal Mooney but he also has ties with Ursuline — Irish football coach Dan Reardon is second cousins with Colin’s father. (When approached for an interview this week about his Mooney ties, Colin politely declined.)

Next question: When asked to pick a winner in tonight’s Poland-Mooney game, Dan Reardon did something his team hasn’t had to do much this year: punt. “Here’s the thing,” said Reardon, whose team lost to Mooney 27-22 in Week 9. “I’m going to save myself the [critical] phone calls. I haven’t seen Poland play. I’ve seen Mooney play and Mooney is very good, obviously. But I’d be crazy to make a prediction.”

Opponents wanted: Mooney played three local opponents during the regular season — Boardman, Warren Harding and Ursuline — while Ursuline faced just one: Mooney. The teams’ tough schedule is more by necessity than design. “We’re still trying to find an opener for next year,” said Cardinals athletic director Don Bucci. “Heck, I’ve called and talked to about 30 schools that have their first date open.” The constant travel and tough competition has its drawbacks, but Bucci believes it pays off in the end. “Playing a good, tough regular season schedule gives you a chance of winning a state title,” said Bucci, who won four state crowns. “You see a lot of teams playing a weak schedule or competing in a weak league and their outside games aren’t any better. They have no chance of winning a state title.”

Defending champs: Three of last year’s state champions are still alive: Kettering Alter (IV), Ursuline (Div. V) and Delphos St. John’s (VI). Defending Div. I state champion Cleveland St. Ignatius lost to Cleveland Glenville in Saturday’s regional semifinals and Div. III state champ Aurora lost to Canfield in the quarterfinals after moving up to Div. II. Last year’s Div. II champion, Sylvania Southview, did not make the playoffs.

Stuck on zero: Of the 30 undefeated teams that made the playoffs, 16 are still alive, including Mooney (12-0). The Cardinals have finished undefeated three times: 1971 (the year before the playoffs began), 1980 (winning the Div. II state title) and 2006 (Div. IV).

Nice tradition: Twenty-two of the remaining playoff teams have won at least one state title, including all three area teams: Poland (once), Mooney (six times) and Ursuline (twice). Mooney is tied with St. Henry for the most titles of the remaining teams.

Vindicator staff report